Low pressure vapor phase growth apparatus

Abstract

A low pressure vapor phase growth apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a window made of a light-transmissive material, a gas feeder for feeding a reactive gas, an exhauster for pumping gases out after a chemical reaction, a lamp for effecting radiant heating of a substrate with a radiation emitted therefrom and transmitted through said light-transmissive window, and a cooling mechanism for forcibly cooling said light-transmissive window. The substrate and the light-transmissive window are maintained in no mutual contact with a gap therebetween having a width of at most the mean free path of a gas existing in the gap. The reactive gas fed through the gas feeder undergoes the chemical reaction on the obverse surface of the substrate to form a thin film thereon.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A low pressure vapor phase growth apparatus comprising a window made of a light-transmissive, energy-conductive material, a gas feeder for feeding a reactive gas, an exhauster for pumping gases out after a chemical reaction, a lamp for effecting radiant heating of a substrate with radiation emitted therefrom and transmitted through the light-transmissive, energy-conductive window, and a cooling mechanism for forcibly cooling said light-transmissive, energy-conductive window; wherein said substrate and said light-transmissive, energy-conductive window are spaced apart with a gap therebetween having a width of at most the mean free path of an inert gas existing in said gap;   wherein said gas feeder is positioned so that reactive gas fed through said gas feeder undergoes said chemical reaction on the obverse surface of said substrate to form a thin film thereon; and   wherein said cooling mechanism comprises a liquid which flows across the gap between said substrate and said light-transmissive, energy-conductive window.   
     
     
       2. A low pressure vapor phase growth apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inert gas is used as said gas existing in said gap. 
     
     
       3. A low pressure vapor phase growth apparatus comprising a chamber for processing a substrate on which a thin film is to be established comprising; (a) a window comprising a high-transmissive material to permit radiant energy to pass therethrough and onto the reverse surface of said substrate;   (b) a fixing tool comprising a light transmissive material for supporting said substrate;   (c) a gas feeder for feeding a reactive gas into said chamber;   (d) an exhauster for pumping gases out of said chamber;   (e) a source directing radiation through said window onto said reverse surface of substrate;   (f) a cooling mechanism for forcibly cooling said window; and   (g) a gas feed inlet for feeding therethrough a purge gas into a gap between said substrate and said window as well as said fixing tool;   wherein said substrate and said window do not contact each other in order not to form a thin film on the reverse surface of said substrate; and   wherein a thin film is formed on the obverse surface of said substrate by said reactive gas reacting chemically thereon.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said purge gas is a member of the group consisting of He, Ar, Ne and N 2 . 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said light transmissive material is transparent quartz. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said gap does not exceed the mean free path of said purge gas located with said gap.